STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A large swath of hillside collapsed early this morning on residential Wright Street, between Van Duzer Street and St. Paul's Avenue in Stapleton, sending layers of clay-red mud, vegetation and roots, and rocky rubble onto the street and sidewalks below. Entrances to some of the one-family homes were blocked, and the block's only fire hydrant was partially buried in a pile of mud.

"We have been complaining forever about this," said John Dixon, who has lived in the last house on the dead-end street for over six years, and had to trek through mud, water, and rocks to reach Van Duzer Street.

"We all parked our cars off the street yesterday (in anticipation of Irene's arrival) last night because we anticipated that this would happen," said homeowner Robin Reigi.

Sanitation Department supervisor Steve Woolverton was on the scene by 1:30 p.m. , with a front-end loader and two waiting dump trucks to clean the street and sidewalks of the mud and debris. "This is the first (significant) mudslide we've had since we started working a six o-clock this morning," he said. "There was a small one on Van Duzer and Broad Streets, but this one is the worst I've seen."

Residents worry that the remaining now-exposed hillside, stripped of protective vegetation, may collapse further in heavy rains, and also bring down the tall trees directly across the street from their houses.